Bmw - Bmw In The World Of Golf

Way back, early in the eighties, when I was still a teen, I can't think of a single one of my friends who didn't want to drive a BMW when he grew up. Driving a flashy new BMW was a surefire way to show everyone that you had 'made it.' Besides your friends, it was sure to impress the ladies, and get them in the passenger seat beside you. You wanted it black with dark tinted windows - and you'd often see cars just like it rolling around downtown, which irked some of the locals to no end.

Think about what BMW means today. Nowadays, it's less the dream of a young boy and more the symbol of successful and influential businesspeople. Just look in the parking lot of the world's biggest companies, there are BMWs everywhere.

One thing that seems to go hand-in-hand with that business lifestyle is the sport of golf. Which means that now, strangely enough, BMW goes hand-in-hand with golf. Actually, BMW have hosted their own tournaments for years now. They started in 1982, and the first professional tourney was the BMW International Open in 1989. This was a big move for BMW, and proved just how successful they had continually been.

Naturally, BMW offers hefty prize packages for winning their tournaments. On top of that, you get a shot at the car of your dreams if you manage to sink a hold-in-one at a specific hole at each tournament. Jay Townsend got the first one in 1991 - he sunk the ball in a single stroke on the twelfth hole and got to drive home the prestigious BMW 325i Cabrio.

Only a year later, at the next BMW International Open, there was another milestone. In this tournament, it came down to ifive players battling to the bitter end to take home the cash prize. This was a unique occurrence in the playoffs, and it remains the single solitary time that so many players were involved in a European Tour PGA playoff. Eventually, Paul Zinger would take home first prize, leaving the other four to split second.

More recently, the BMW Asian open took place in Shanghai. Darren Clarke, thirty-nine, of Northern Ireland was the victor, making quite a comeback. Among the top fifty early on, he had dropped to 236th at the beginning of the Open. A tragedy at home, with the passing of his wife, clearly took a toll. Eventually sinking a thirty-foot putt on the eighteenth hole was just enough to give him a lead over rival Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands, and secured a victory that Clarke could be proud of. No doubt that this win meant a lot to Clarke, and to his family, after the unfortunate recent events.

This being his eleventh win in total, Clarke's long, tough battle netted him a massive total of $383,000. Clarke reported that he practiced countless hours - from ten to twelve a day - to hone his skills and reclaim a place among the top fifty.

Long-time supporters of getting more people into sports, BMW offers he most devoted up-and-coming atheletes generous scholarships. BMW's scholarships are in a class above the rest, and the company has gained worldwide renown for continuing to encourage the youth to pursue their dreams.